Review submitted by Hannah Nguyen of Northwest High School.
Clarksburg’s show “Bring It On” was certainly a show to remember! From
solid cheer formations to smooth and rhythmic hip hop choreography, all
choreographed by Clarksburg’s very own students.
This musical was based off of the hit movie “Bring It On” but has almost
a completely different plot. With music and lyrics by the infamous Tom
Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Amanda Green, as well as the book being
written by Jeff Whitty.
Overall, Clarksburg did an amazing job with this show! Cheerleading is
quite obviously a hard sport to pick up and the players showed that they
were ready to bring it on with the little time that they had. The cast
showed that they were capable of many talents like being able to sing
and chant while cheering, killer hip hop moves, and intense and shocking
stunts. This musical follows the journey of Campbell, through all of the
twists and turns from being redistricted. She gets sent to the notorious
Jackson High and meets some friends that go through a tremendous
character arc together.
Campbell, played by Ydiany Quiroz, portrayed her character very well.
From being a nervous girl, waiting for the results for captain to come
out, to a strong woman that knows her morals and friends in the end. She
showcases her amazing and powerful voice as well and her character arc
and development. Quiroz truly embodied Campbell in every possible way.
The Jackson High Dance Squad is led by Danielle, played by Renee Agben.
Agben showed she was more than just a powerful singer through her
amazing facials, acting, and dancing. Beside Danielle were her two
companions, Nautica and La Cienaga, played by Tania Allen and Vanessa
Luna. This dynamic duo was always seen together and they always
supported Danielle with their dancing and amazing vocals. On the other
side of the district line, lived Eva, Skylar, and Kylar, played by
Kendall Stewart, Jeanne Lubika, and Ishika Naik. That dynamic group
showed that not only are they gorgeous, but that they are all powerful
singers, and the embodiment of original cast. All of their distinct
personalities blended well together and complimented each other to make
every line laughable. Lubika had such emotional control on the audience
that anything she could say would’ve made them laugh. Stewart showed how Eva went from a sweet and innocent girl, to a maniacal, evil, and
manipulative captain. She truly showcased the character well and served some serious powerbelts with it. Naik was a funny side character, with her dopey storytelling.
Although the sets were minimalistic, they served great purposes for many
different scenes. From using the set for the redistricting visual, to
using it for the cheer competitions, worked well. The four pillars in
the back, although they were not recognizable at times, helped by doing
little things to make a big impact on the show. Occasionally they would
light up with the school specific color and it added touches to the
scene which cast a cool effect.
Overall, Clarksburg showed that even with the little time that they had,
choreographers, directors, and most importantly, cast and crew, put
together an amazing production of the musical. Everyone on stage showed
how they could captivate the audience with amazing dialogue,
choreography, and vocals. Through this amazing production, Clarksburg
Drama showed off its near endless abilities, and that they are
soul-shaking and ground-breaking!
The performance reviewed was from Saturday, 11/09/2019.
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